


The Intruder

by Summertime_Poet



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: M/M, Misunderstandings, josh is probably pretty confused, probably not what you expect in the beginning, there's someone in the josephs' house besides tyler and it can't be his family, this turned out differently than planned at first and i have no regrets, tyler is a bit sick
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-30
Updated: 2016-03-30
Packaged: 2018-05-30 03:41:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6407308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Summertime_Poet/pseuds/Summertime_Poet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tyler is sick and home alone.<br/>There's an intruder in the Josephs' house.<br/>Josh did not expect any of this.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Intruder

It was 2.30 pm when Tyler looked at his alarm clock for a last time, mentally checked off ‘take cough syrup’ and ‘make sure to open the windows for five minutes before you take a nap’ on his to-do list, and sank down onto his mattress that felt way too soft for him right then. He had been sick for a couple of days already, not really feeling better yet, and his body seemed to react negatively to any slightest form of discomfort. He grumbled quietly and huddled deeper into his thick blanket. Just before he nodded off, a thought startled him awake again though, and with his remaining energy he grabbed the black ski mask from his bedside table and messily pulled it over his head. Then, taking deep breaths, he slowly fell into a somewhat comforting half-sleep.

He wasn’t sure whether it was the feeling of the sneeze building up in his nose or the sound of the front door being closed that awakened him around 3.20pm- either way, he was not happy about it. Sneezing, he jolted forwards, holding onto his bed sheet as he grumpily accepted that he would probably not get any more sleep until Zack would be back later in the evening.

Which was when he slowly started getting out of his sleepy haze, and glanced sideways at his alarm clock. 3.21pm. Zack had said he would leave at 3pm to meet up with friends, and Zack always tended to be on time. Therefore, Tyler realized, his younger brother and current caretaker should already be on the go, leaving Tyler behind as the only on at the Josephs’ house that day as the rest of the family was gone attending his uncle’s birthday party.

Which led to the question... who was at the front door? Or, more directly, who was probably already inside the house, taking apart their shelves and looking for any valuable possessions?? Tyler almost shrieked in fear at that thought, nearly falling out of his bed when scrambling to his feet and looking for something heavy to take with him as protection.

He looked around for a few seconds, not finding anything handy yet heavy, then gave up with a defeated sigh and grabbed his dear-to-his-heart radio cassette recorder and pushed open his room’s door. He stepped to the brink of the staircase on shaky legs and looked down, ready to throw the recorder down onto the awaiting intruder-

Who turned out to be a young man in tight black pants and a loose shirt, with half of his messy hair dyed a bright pink. Holding something Tyler couldn’t quite make out in his hands. Probably a tool box to create an even bigger mess when looking for their valuables. Tyler would not allow this to happen. Staring down at the stranger, he spoke up with as loud a voice he could muster with the latter currently being terribly husky: “Could you maybe... be so kind and, uhm... leave?”

He was aware of his quivering voice and his still shaking legs, and the radio cassette recorder clutched protectively to his chest, but a small smirk appeared on his face as he watched the intruder – who was still standing in the entrance area of the house, apparently looking around for a place to start searching for their valuables - jumping at the sudden sound of his voice. Pink Hair dropped his tool box (?) and, cursing under his breath, quickly bent down to pick it up again, seemingly considering inspecting it for any scratches or the likes. Then he seemed to remember Tyler’s presence though, and quickly looked up to the end of the staircase again, clutching the box to his chest in a defensive manner.

 

“Wha-what?” He asked, as though he couldn’t believe what he had just heard. “I-,” Tyler took a deep breath, trying to make his voice sound a bit more forceful and self-assured this time out. “I said- could you maybe be so kind and leave?”

 

The stranger moved a step aside, now closer to the bottom of the staircase, and Tyler considered giving up on his radio cassette recorder and just throw it at this man. He moved his arms holding his beloved item up a few centimeters when the man seemed to be about to make a move to approaching him any further- Tyler would prefer to keep the staircase as a minimum distance between himself and the burglar (who did not so much look like your regular burglar, but... who could you trust these days anyway, right? _Burglar_.).

Then Pink Hair started to search his pants’ back pocket with his free hand for something and Tyler _knew_ he was going to pull out a gun now and unless he didn’t throw his radio cassette recorder _now_ , he’d have no chance at all and- in a last attempt to avoid having to let go off his recorder he begged. “Just leave... please! I won’t even-”

“Fuck that. I’m calling the police!”

... Uh. ... _what?_

With this, Pink Hair pulled out his cell phone, almost dropping it as his hold onto it with only one hand didn’t seem to be the best. No, no, _no_ \- there must have been a misunderstanding here somehow?? “Stop-“

He didn’t get any further, because a fit of coughing cut through his request, making him loose hold of his radio cassette recorder and almost sending him falling down the stairs. The recorder crashed against the banister, not falling down the stairs but down onto Tyler’s feet. He did not wear any slippers and the fluffy socks he was always wearing when he was feeling sick didn’t do much good to protect him from the sharp edges of the apparatus. Yelping, he pulled up his leg a bit, holding on to his right foot, then realized that prancing at the top of the staircase was a very. bad. idea and sank down to the floor with his back to the wall.

He sobbed quietly for another second because the pain just _wouldn’t stop_ , then almost reached forward to grab his recorder again because apparently Mr. Intruder Pink Hair Tight Pants had just decided that Tyler being in pain meant he could approach him even further and was now standing in the middle of the staircase, mere meters away from Tyler. The tool box stood at the bottom of the staircase, out of his reach- but Tyler didn’t doubt the other man would be able to take him out without any of whatever he had brought with him in that box. “Stay there! Don’t come closer!” Tyler fought out, his voice almost gone after the last fit of coughing. He sneezed and wondered what he had done to deserve this mess of a day.

“Okay, dude. Stay calm. I didn’t call the police yet, and I will not attack you or whatever. Granted you won’t attack me either. ...tho that seems rather unlikely right now.” He grinned a small, sheepish grin and Tyler really didn’t know what this day even was anymore. At least none of them was going to attack the other then. ...o- _kay_. He still felt like grabbing for his radio cassette recorder for defense though.

It was not until Tyler let his head dip forward, hands moving up to meet his face and hide his confused facial expression from the stranger, that he suddenly realized what had gone wrong. Well... aside from the fact that there was a stranger – an _intruder_ – now sitting with his back to the wall on the step of the staircase next to him, looking at him intensively.

“Oh, crap!” He said loudly, followed by another cough. He hastily reached up, grabbing the top of the ski mask and messily pulled it off his head. He threw it on top of his recorder and then quickly looked back to Pink Hair who had not moved during the past couple of seconds, but was now staring at Tyler with big eyes and his mouth gaping a little bit. “Uhm...,” Tyler tried again, hoping his voice would be gracious with him this time out.

“I’m not sure who you are or what you are doing here, but, uhm... This is my house and I would kindly ask you – _again_ – to leave?” _Fuck_. It once again came out as a question rather than a ‘very serious’ request.

“Uhm... so... you’re not some weirdo burglar who broke into the Josephs’ house wearing a black ski mask and...,” He quickly looked Tyler up and down, and Tyler felt a light blush form on his cheeks. What the _hell_ was this afternoon even?? He gave up on pondering about this when Pink Hair spoke up again. “- light blue pajama pants and fluffy white socks?”

Tyler snorted. This all was so ridiculous and he still had no clue what the heck was going on, but apparently the other man had really thought _him_ a burglar?? He would admit that the ski mask had probably led to that conclusion, but... still.

“No, I’m not some weirdo burglar. I just happen to live here.” He paused, but remembered the bigger issue at hand and continued in a far more serious tone: “More importantly though, who are you and what the _heck_ are you doing here with your tool box??” _Trying to steal your valuables_ was what instantly came to Tyler’s mind again, but then again... why would a burglar think him another burglar and instantly decide to call the police?

“Tool box?” The other man looked at him with both eyebrows raised, flabbergasted. Then he caught on to what Tyler meant and looked down to the box at the end of the staircase. “Oh god, the makeup that Ashely told me to bring over for...,” He less scratched the back of his head than ruffled his hair whilst looking up at the ceiling, then turned back to Tyler. “Maddison? That was her name, I believe.” He smiled again- still sheepishly, yet wider this time out. “And... who are you now that I have explained what I am doing here?”

Tyler shook his head, disbelieving. _Makeup_. Not a _tool box_. Crap.

“Tyler. Tyler Joseph. Maddison’s older brother.” He shook his head yet another time. What even was this afternoon anymore. ...at least he wasn’t spending it on top of the staircase with a _burglar_. “Wait- who are _you_ though? And who’s Ashley?”

Pink Hair smiled softly, then stirred a bit and ended up leaning a bit closer to him against the wall. “Josh Dun, Ashley Dun’s older brother.” He held out his hand, and Tyler found himself taking it without hesitation. He still was not too sure whether he wasn’t maybe hallucinating, but... this all seemed very real and very weird, but... Josh seemed trustworthy. So... he might have held onto the other man’s hand a bit longer than he probably should have. _Whatever_. There was little that could have made this situation any less weird anyway.

“How did you come into the house though?” “Why were you wearing that ski mask, if you don’t mind me asking?”

They looked at each other, trying to weight out whom of them should answer first. Josh quickly decided it was his turn to explain his presence. “The door wasn’t really closed. It was actually a bit ajar, so I closed it when I entered. I only wanted to look for somewhere to place the makeup box and then leave again. Ashley said she had promised your sister parts of her huge makeup collection as she still had so much new stuff she never got around using, and she also said she had everything packed now and messaged Maddison, who then told her to just drop it by whenever she wanted to.” Josh shrugged. “I rang the doorbell thrice despite the ajar door, but nobody answered. So I just decided to quickly enter, leave the box here and leave again. Then... you appeared.” He smiled widely, and Tyler was sure that this was what it was like to look into the sun- for several minutes without a break. “Oh.”

“What about the mask?” Josh asked, unable to keep the curiosity from leaking into his voice.

“I- uh. Okay, this will be weird, but please listen me out, yeah?” Tyler asked, looking at Pink- Josh. It was Josh. Not Pink Hair. Josh nodded.

“I had this weird idea when I was little... that when I would wear a ski mask, like burglars, you know, and they would see me asleep in my bed- they would think me to be a colleague and leave me alone, you know?” Tyler looked down at his hands, fiddling with his fingers to distract him from his own embarrassment. “I am still very scared of the thought of burglars finding me asleep, so... I still wear that mask every time I go to bed...” He coughed, and Josh instinctively reached out to pat his back before remembering the fit of coughing earlier on and connecting one and one.

“You’re sick!”

“Thanks man!” Tyler commented sarcastically, instantly regretting how harsh it had come out. Josh only laughed in response though.

 

“Just my favorite kind of sick that I would love to see opposite of me at Taco Bell next Saturday maybe?”

Now, that had been _smooth_. Tyler grinned at him.

Two could play that game though.

“What... when you fulfill my orders... standing behind that counter?”

Josh snorted. “You are impossible, but I shall take that as a yes. ...yeah?” He asked, looking at Tyler questioningly.

“Heck – ,“ Tyler interrupted himself, sneezing _once again_. His cold couldn’t stop the smile blossoming over his face as he replied though. “ _Heck yeah!_ ”

**Author's Note:**

> I actually intended to call this "Break-In(to My Heart)" (don't ask) at first but idk... it just didn't fit so much imo *shrugs* (I feel like my end notes almost always start like this now- with the draft titles that never made it in the end :P )
> 
> This is inspired by two things: [This](http://www.patsdrabbles.tumblr.com/post/141962002543) tumblr post of a tweet that was just so funny that I instantly _knew_ I'd have to write something like this, and [this gem](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0oovgCbBks&feature=youtu.be&t=11m41s) aka the first part of Tyler's answer to the question. I only found this video again now as I searched for it (thanks Google, and the people quoting Tyler in the comments) as I only saw a cropped version of the video on tumblr a while ago but couldn't recall the exact quotation. I totally rec watching the entire interview though (if you have the time) as it's quite lovely tbh. ^^ 
> 
> Either way, gonna crosspost this over on my [drabble blog](http://www.patsdrabbles.tumblr.com) and my [deviantART account](http://www.murderous-coffeebean.deviantart.com) again, linking those here in case you wanna follow me there for all kinds of one-shots and/or my fan art ^^ I hope you enjoyed the fanfic and are having a nice day! ^^/


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